How do I get to all the Canary islands in the cheapest and most comfortable way possible in one week? A cheapy cruise I found on an American website. For $550 I got an ocean view cabin with all meals and drinks included and transport to all the islands I want to visit. If I had gone with Fred Olsen Ferries it would have cost me more than double. It was the best week ever. Even though I was on my own I still had a great time on board. I ate so much. I sunbathed on deck and enjoyed the hot tub. I got a great tan and ate some more. I boarded the ship at las Palmas in Gran Canaria. I would explore this island at the end of the cruise when I stay for a couple of days. My first day of exploring was of the ship. My very first ocean view cabin. The window was huge and the view amazing. Even when we had a storm on day 5 the huge crashing waves was frightening to see up close and personal from my cabin.
The first stop was Santa Cruz in Tenerife. I was one of the first of the ship and I knew where I was heading. San Cristobal de La Laguna is supposed to be the prettiest town on Tenerife. I hopped on the 45 minute tram to La Laguna. As I was there early I had the whole town to myself. It was early morning so the coffee shops were open but nothing else. I walked the many quiet cobbled streets and got lost several times looking at the beautiful buidlings. In a split second 2 hours had gone by when I realised the town was being invaded by hundreds of tourists as the big coaches were parking up. It was exactly the right time to leave and go back to Santa Cruz. This could be any old town on any old island except for the lovely mountain backdrop. I sneaked on to one of the shuttle buses provide by the more exclusive cruise ships and ended up inside the port which was all the way across from Santa Cruz. This gave me a different view of the town altogether. I took a lovely slow walk all the while enjoying the views as I boarded my ship for the next stop.
The next stop was in Santa Cruz de La Palma not to be confused with my previous stop. La Palma is the smallest of all the Canary islands. I took a stroll in the very small town up to the church. It didn't take long as I was finished within an hour. The next few hours I spent on the black sand beach enjoying the very cold Atlantic ocean. I sunbathed for sure but it was too cold for me to swim in the sea. I always forget how cold the Atlantic ocean can be.
Then we headed to Lanzarote. We docked in Arrecife which is quite the 45 minutes walk into town from the port. Again I sneaked onto a shuttle bus which was provided by the elusive Seaquest ship and took a quick 10 minutes ride into town while enjoying the walk free tour of the town. Don't get me wrong. I love walking and exploring but I have read on forums that this walk from the port to town is pretty uninteresting so I didn't want to waste nearly 2 hours walking looking at crap when I could be exploring another town. Arrecife is town full of white box type buildings. Against the black landscape of volcanic ground it did look striking. The small lake in the middle of town and the castle was the only interesting thing about the town. I didn't find there was anything more to explore on Lazarote island even though a lot of people headed to the national park to explore the lunar looking lanscape to see the volcanic craters. I have seen the best lunar landscape and experienced a live volcano and was priviledged enough to be at the edge of a crater feeling the hot thunderous air and smell and see exploding lava up close and personal that a walk in a tame park like this was something to be avoided. This is my personal view obviously. Lanzarote was not my favourite of the islands.
As expected Fuertureventura was my favourite island in the Canaries. It didn't disappoint. From the sand dunes to quaint little coastal towns, it was a lovely island. I avoided as best as I could the big resorts with the mile long shops and restaurants. They are around but you could avoid it if you wanted to. I headed north to the the sand dunes of Corallejo and wasted hours walking up and down dunes. When I realised the time I legged it to El Cotillo but to get there I had to be in the biggest resort up north in Corellejo. I got on a bus along with Ed Byrne ( British/Irish comedian) and headed to the north east of the island. It was dead quiet here and bliss. The views were again breath taking. Although there is supposed a nudist beach along here but I didn't see it. I enjoyed the peace before heading back to Puerto del Rosario to get back on the ship.
The cruise was over and I was excited to explore the biggest of the Canary islands, Gran Canaria. I stayed in Las Palmas as it was the better option. Every where else was developed resorts and towns. It was a bit of a challenge to find unspoilt towns and villages on this island. Maybe 20 years ago but not anymore. Las Palmas town had two main beaches for swimmers and surfers. In the 60s and 70s this place became a haven for surfers. I love the sea and all the so called cultural stuff was close by too so Las Palmas was the only option for me. I did however want to see what the rest of the island had to offer. I knew it would be resorts and more resorts and that's what I found. I really enjoyed Puerto de Mogan even though a resort it was the prettiest little resort on the island. It had a beautiful little harbour and a view point at the top to see the mountain back drop and deep blue ocean. The reason this is a pretty resort town it is because of its little cute garden apartment complex. There are no high rise hotels here...thank goodness. Then I ventured to the south to El Faro Maspalomas. Also another resort but it had a lighthouse. I love light houses so I had to go. The bus ride was long and the drive through many many horrible big blocks of resorts along the way didn't make the journey any less dull. Once I arrived I headed straight for the light house. I even saw some wildlife as there were lizards basking in the sun.
I'm glad I decided to explore the Canaries. It doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of a path of the beaten track but if you persevere you will find a hidden gem.
